The TIRF illuminator allows up to three discrete laser lines to be used simultaneously for illumination, each with its own critical angle. In TIRF, the light's angle of incidence dictates how deeply the evanescent wave penetrates into tissue, and lasers of different wavelengths require varying angles to operate at their peak.

In comparison with other TIRF systems, where laser light of various wavelengths passes through a single fiber, necessitating switching lasers and adjusting the critical angle to achieve maximum performance, the Olympus illuminator employs three separate and individual fibers to maximize results. It is also easier to operate, since the lasers are adjusted once, at the beginning of the experiment, and do not need to be adjusted again.

“Not only is multi-channel, multicolor simultaneous imaging possible,” said Nicolas George, marketing manager at Olympus America, “but this illuminator also allows more efficient TIRF ratio experiments and faster measurement of rapid intracellular processes, for example, since the only temporal limitation on taking measurements is the 1-millisecond time it takes to switch lasers on and off.”

The TIRF illuminator is compatible with a wide variety of common gas and diode lasers, including the widely used 405nm diode laser. It is designed for, and can be retrofitted to, Olympus IX2 microscopes including the IX71 and IX81 microscopes, in addition to the IX70 inverted microscope.

The introduction of the new illuminator builds on Olympus’ market-leading tradition in TIRF. Olympus introduced the first TIRF microscope objective in the U.S. in 1997, and continues to offer the largest line of TIRF optics, including the unmatched APO 100x NA 1.65 objective. Other TIRF objectives include the APO N 60x NA 1.49, PlanApo 100x NA 1.45, and U-APO 150x NA 1.45. Most recently, Olympus introduced the Fluoview FV1000-EVA, a combination TIRF and confocal microscope system for researchers.

Olympus works collaboratively with its customers and its parent company, Tokyo-based Olympus Corporation, to leverage R&D investment in precision technology and manufacturing processes across diverse business lines. These include:

In the U.S. and Canada, Olympus United States Inc. serves healthcare and commercial laboratory markets with integrated product solutions and financial, educational and consulting services that help customers to efficiently, reliably, and more easily achieve exceptional results. Olympus is the leader in gastrointestinal endoscopy and clinical and educational microscopes. The company's consumer electronics products business spans North and South America. For more information, visit www.olympusamerica.com .